Because there’s lots of competition, all of a sudden
Panasonic GF-1
A couple of years ago, Panasonic sprung the GF1 on an unsuspecting world. The purists jumped on it, seeing a long lost dream come true. ‘Could it be? A digital Leica facsimile for the everyman?’ K.J. Vogelius asked in his user review for Steve Huff. ‘Image quality without compromise in a small, light and well handling package at a reasonable price? The perfect everyday camera?’
He soon answered his own question: ‘Compared to other cameras I’ve shot with, the image quality of the GF1 is second only to the full frame 5D Mk II and at times there’s honestly not much telling them apart. http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2011/11/21/user-report-the-panasonic-gf1-a-landmark-camera-by-kj-vogelius/
David Babsky saw it much the same way: ‘I’ve, at last, found a generally ‘easy-to-use’ small, compact “all-rounder” to almost match the big, heavy Leica M9. Leica’s chairman Alfred Schopf should encourage a deal with Panasonic *right now!* to offer the GF1 as a mini ‘Leica M9.5′ because it takes Leica lenses – think how much more glass they’d sell! – it gives great results, they already rebrand Pannys as Leicas, and (some of) the world wants a pocketable Leica which takes interchangeable lenses – unlike the silly fixed-lens X1. The Leica ‘M9.5′ would be a compact Leica “for the rest of us”.’
Babsky adds: ‘It takes M lenses, gives great quality (RAW and jpeg), doubles the range of existing M lenses – so a 135mm becomes a 270mm ... a focal length unheard of on a Leica *rangefinder* camera – and it’s just the smallest, sweetest Leica ever made. Call it the “mini-M” if you like.’
I fell for this love-in chatter, hook, line and sinker, about a year ago. Bought a GF1 with the 20mm f/1.7 prime lens, and sold it on eBay a week later. I couldn’t produce images of the same quality as my old Nikon D40 with the $200 35mm f/1.8 prime. Dynamic range was the most obvious flaw. Details here http://briard.typepad.com/get_the_picture/2011/02/panasonic-lumix-dmc-gf1-evil-fun-part-2.html . The current version is the GX1, following several models in between. I’m not sure the sensor has changed that much.
Fuji X100
In the eyes of many, this was the most exciting new camera of 2011. A purist’s device, fatally flawed in its execution as all purist devices are, but it delivered in spades and was a real winner for Fujifilm. It competes more with the fixed-lens Leica X1 than the M9.
Photo courtesy of www.thephoblographer.com
Steve Huff compared the two cameras and came away saying: ‘Id be happy with either camera. The X100 has the f/2 lens, better high ISO performance at 3200, HD video, EVF/OVF, and manual aperture and exposure comp dial. All for $1199. The X1 has a sleeker design, faster operation, slight better IQ (IMO) and comes with a nicer leather strap - $1999.’ http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2011/05/23/my-leica-x1-and-fuji-x100-comparison-photos-and-my-thoughts/
Fuji X-Pro1
Leica has plenty of cachet but Fujifilm has rapidly built a very loyal following, and the company has followed up on its retro success with the X10 and the X-Pro1. The latter looks like a serious Leica M9 competitor but it’s yet to hit the shelves of camera shops. The camera is equipped with a new 16mp X-Trans CMOS chip that has the RGB filter arranged in random blocks of 6x6 pixels.
Fujifilm says this design makes colour moiré a thing of the past, and that goes for the anti-aliasing filter as well. This improves resolution, and dpreview.com reports that Fujifilm claims the X-Pro1 will out-resolve the full frame 21MP Canon EOS 5D Mark II. http://www.dpreview.com/previews/fujifilmxpro1/
Fujifilm has initially announced 3 new autofocus X-Mount lenses, all fast primes:
- 18mm f/2 (27 mm equivalent)
- 35mm f/1.4 (53 mm equivalent)
- 60mm f/2.4 macro (90 mm equivalent)
Photo courtesy of www.dpreview.com
The X-Pro1 retains the X100’s optical/electronic 'hybrid' viewfinder is retained, and offers two magnifications to support the interchangeable lenses offered (0.37x for the FOV of the 18mm lens; 0.6x magnification for the longer lenses). The 60mm lens uses a smaller frameline within this magnified view.
The camera uses a focal plane shutter instead of the X100’s electronic version, and features an upgraded LCD. The body is bigger and heavier than the X100, and is priced at US $1700. Lenses are expected to cost about $500 each. That makes this camera a bargain compared to a Leica M9, and Fuji plans to release a Leica M-mount adaptor so you can use Leica lenses on this body as well.
Luminous Landscape makes the point that Fuji was involved in the design of the old Hasselblad X-Pan, and that the X-Pro1 will deliver first rate build quality and optical excellence. ‘If you have worked in the broadcast television industry,’ the previewer says, ‘or shot large format film, you will be well aware of Fuji's expertise and sterling reputation in lenses. Fuji is leveraging that capability with their (sic) lenses for the new X-Mount. These promise to be lenses of the first rank, and I can't wait to get my hands on them to find out for myself and of course compare them with Leica M glass.’
Ricoh GXR A12
When Ricoh first introduced the GXR, I was struck by the brilliant design, such a radical break from everything else out there. The idea of combining lenses with sensors and optimizing the combo made a lot of sense, except for the mismatch in obsolescence. Sensors are improved all the time, but good lenses are good lenses for the long haul. So when Ricoh upgrades its sensors to newer technology, you either throw out your modules and buy new ones or you stay with what you have.
A few months ago, Ricoh announced an M-mount adaptor for the GXR. With this adaptor module fitted, the camera becomes a more conventional unit that can take all kinds of lenses from Leica, Minolta, Voigtlander and others. All manual focus, of course, but that’s been the Leica way forever.
Photo courtesy of Luminous Landscape http://www.luminous-landscape.com/
Of course, the GXR is not a rangefinder camera. There is a live view LCD and an optional electronic viewfinder. Generic optical viewfinders can also be mounted on the accessory shoe. But there’s no built-in optical viewfinder / rangefinder that compares with the set-up on an M series Leica. But focus-peaking is on offer, in two forms, one that puts a shimmer effect around the edges of the subject with the sharpest focus. The other turns the screen into a B&W etched outline.
Compared to DSLR lenses, M mount lenses are small. Without a mirror or prism to worry about, rangefinder lenses have a much shorter back focus distance. This is especially noticeable with wide angle lenses. The small lens size is often combined with high speed, and Leica makes 21mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm with an aperture of f/1.4.
A pro shooter friend who has recently owned Nikons D3, D3S and D700, has sold all his gear and settled on the Ricoh GXR system. ‘Put simply,’ he writes, ‘it's the best camera, image, colour, resolution, ergonomics and control interface I have ever used.’ A bonus for him is that the GXR-M is optimised for ‘M wides’, (wide angle lenses).
Ricoh bought the Pentax camera division late last year, and a K-Mount module for all these revered Pentax lenses - http://tiny.cc/h9pno - is a real possibility down the track. Luminous Landscape sums it up this way: ‘The Ricoh GXR-M is a very appealing camera for anyone who owns Leica M mount lenses, or who would like to. At 1/7th the price of an M9, and with its very good build quality and wide ranging features, it's a relative bargain. A Live View LCD and an optional EVF give the GXR-M capabilities that many users, even those that may currently own an M9, will find very attractive.’
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/ricoh_gxr_a12_field_report.shtml
More on the GXR M-Mount
More on GXR lens modules
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2011/09/28/the-ricoh-gxr-a12-m-mount-module-review-by-ashwin-rao/
We live in fascinating times
Kim
This post has lots of content to say one..You had shared many camera's and what I like most is Fuji X-Pro1..It design's good and hope it features also..No doubt Ricoh GXR A12 is also a nice one to have..They are of latest design..
Posted by: Kamera tilbehør | 02/03/2012 at 11:13 PM